Problems with mobility and dexterity are experienced by some 56 per cent of all people with a disability and nearly half suffer from pain, figures published today show.
The first results of the National Disability Study 2006 published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) provide information on the level of difficulty experienced by people in carrying out their daily activities across nine different types of disability.
A mobility and dexterity disability was reported by 56 per cent of all those with a disability. Pain was reported by 47 per cent. Difficulties remembering and concentrating (35 per cent) and emotional, psychological and mental health difficulties (34 per cent) were the next most reported disability types.
Speech (11 per cent) was the least reported disability.
A total of 24 per cent of those with a disability said the could not do everyday activities as a result of their disability, the CSO said.
A further 43 per cent reported having a lot of difficulty doing everyday activities, and 31 per cent reported having a moderate level of difficulty.
The survey revealed that 52 per cent of people with a disability are female. Intellectual and learning (61 per cent) and speech (54 per cent) disabilities were the only categories where there were more males than females.
More than a third (36 per cent) of all those with a disability were aged 65 and over whereas this age group represented only 11 per cent of the population, the CSO said.
In contrast, only 11 per cent of persons with a disability were aged 0-17, an age group representing a quarter of the population.
A total of 29 per cent of those with a speech disability and 38 per cent of those with an intellectual and learning disability were under 18.
Those in the 18-64 age bracket accounted for two-thirds (67 per cent) of those reporting an emotional, psychological and mental health disability.
Those living in a nursing home, hospital or children’s home represented 8 per cent of all those with a disability.
They were mainly elderly with 62 per cent of them aged 75 and over.
According to the survey, a higher proportion of those usually resident in a nursing home, hospital or children’s home had nobility and dexterity (76 per cent) and remembering and concentrating (61 per cent) difficulties compared to the corresponding rates for people with a disability usually resident in private households (55 per cent and 32 per cent respectively).
They also reported much higher levels of severity with 63 per cent unable to do certain everyday activities compared to 21 per cent of people with a disability in private households.
The disability survey included a broader range of disabilities than had been used previously. It estimates the overall rate of disability for the population at between 168 and 204 per thousand of the population.